Statistics Hacks
Very few things create the visualization of dozens of students sleeping in class like mentioning the subject of statistics. But, statistics can be interesting, fun, and useful as Bruce Frey demonstrates in this very approachable introduction to the subject. The first three chapters cover the necessary introduction to statistics with a discussion of sample size, distributions, standard deviation, correlations, chi-square, and random sampling. Starting with the fourth chapter the author moves from the theoretical to application in a chapter on beating the odds in cards, dice, and various gambling devices. With chapter five he moves into the area of games like the now infamous Monty Hall question (do you switch doors if offered a chance to), tic-tac-toe, and even sports games. The final chapter is using statistics to think smarter by spotting faked data, explaining things that appear to be a coincidence, and other common situations. While Statistics Hacks is not for everyone, everyone will find some portion that is interesting to them, even if it is just how to play the currently popular Texas hold-em while taking advantage of probability to improve your odds of winning. Statistics Hacks is a recommended read for those interested not only in statistics but how to use them immediately in the real world.
Author: Bruce Frey
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastapol, CA 95472
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0596101643
Pages: 324 plus index
Price: $29.99